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Rotel Quartet Includes USB DAC

Denver – Rotel Electronics is bringing a quartet of stereo components to the CEDIA Expo, including its first USB DAC, a stereo preamp with onboard DAC, and two stereo power amps.

The USB DAC is the RDD-1580, shipping in November at a suggested $799. It features front-panel USB input that supports Apple iPods, iPhones and iPads, and it streams Bluetooth music via an included adapter. The rear panel PC-USB input supports files up to 24 bit/192kHz in asynchronous mode.

Two sets of rear panel RCA-style coaxial and TOSlink optical digital inputs are optimized for PCM sources with up to 24-bit/192 kHz resolution.

Rotel’s first USB DAC is the $799-suggested RDD-1580.

The RDD-1580 uses two Wolfson WM8740 stereo DACs, one for each channel, to reduce noise and distortion more than a single converter can, the company said.

The RDD-1580 provides both single-ended and balanced outputs with RCA and XLR connections, respectively. High-current charging capability (2.1 amperes) is available for iPads and other devices.

The stereo preamp with onboard DAC is the RC-1570, shipping in October at a suggested $999 with DAC and analog stages. It’s designed as an upgrade for owners of older analog-only preamps.

The RC-1570 comes with two digital coaxial inputs, two optical digital inputs, and a rear-panel PC-USB, all capable of handling digital sources up to 24/192 resolution. A Bluetooth dongle is provided for use with the front USB input. A moving-magnet phono-stage rounds out the source inputs.

A premium Wolfson stereo DAC handles digital to analog conversion. Analog inputs include balanced XLR connectors and four pair of conventional RCA inputs. XLR and single-ended outputs are available along with two 12-volt triggers. It also comes with RS-232 on a standard DB-9 connector.

The two new Class A/B stereo amps are the RB-1582MKII at $1599 and RB1552MKII at $999. They are shipping.

The RB-1582MKII is Rotel’s highest power stereo amp at 2x200 watts per channel. It features a large toroidal transformer combined with a total of 60,000uF storage capacity in special “slit foil” capacitors to provide “completely stable power to the output stage,” the company said. Slit foil capacitors charge and discharge extremely quickly to ensure signal fidelity during orchestral crescendos or repetitive kick-drum impacts, the company said. The left and right channel construction are laid out in a mono block design after the toroidal transformer. The output stage uses a discrete design consisting of 10 high-current bipolar transistors per channel. Input options include balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA connectors.

The RB-1552MKII is a 2x120-watt stereo amp with oversize power supply, an efficient toroidal transformer, and multiple, high-current bipolar output transistors, the company said. The RB-1552MKII features independent left and right power rectification stages and decoupling, making it essentially a mono block design, the company said.